Janet Napolitano’s lecture and Ford School visit was highlighted in a Michigan Daily article, “Napolitano calls on students to engage in public service,” published today.
The story, written by Anastassios Adamopoulos, recapped Napolitano’s address, and also included content from the Daily’s interview with her following the event.
Napolitano is the current president of the University of California system. She previously served as U.S. secretary of Homeland Security from 2009 to 2013, as well as governor of Arizona from 2003 to 2009.
During her lecture, Napolitano addressed a variety of issues, including national security, higher education, her experiences serving in various posts, and the current political climate in the U.S.
Speaking to the Daily after the lecture, Napolitano urged students who want to directly affect change to run for public office.
“Don’t get me wrong, it’s great to be a civil servant, a policy advisor,” she said. “Those are all wonderful things. But the way our government is organized, it’s the elected official who makes the decision. So if you want that, then at some point you need to do it yourself.”
Nearly 300 attended the Policy Talks @ the Ford School event, which was co-sponsored by the Ford School and the Education Policy Initiative, while another 70 watched via livestream.
Prior to the lecture, Napolitano met with more than two dozen Ford School MPP students in a private luncheon to discuss careers in public service.
To view photos from the event, visit the Ford School's Napolitano album on Flickr.